Indrani Mukerjea’s Dance Performance at Khushwant Singh Literary Festival Sparks Backlash

October 21, 2024: The Khushwant Singh Literary Festival is under fire for inviting Indrani Mukerjea, an accused in the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, to perform a dance at the event in Kasauli. On Friday evening, Mukerjea took the stage for a controversial dance performance, and her participation has sparked criticism across social media. She was also a panellist at the previous edition of the festival. She is currently out on bail, by orders of the Supreme Court.

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A section of the public has expressed outrage at the festival’s organisers for providing Mukerjea with a platform. Critics claim that her appearance at such high-profile events is part of a “PR makeover” following her release from jail. “Seeing Indrani Mukerjea perform and be legitimised at a Lit Fest, that too one named after Khushwant Singh, makes me sick to the pit of my stomach,” wrote Joy Bhattacharjya on social media platform X.

Many social media users echoed this sentiment, questioning why someone accused of murder was being given such visibility. “It’s disheartening to see someone like Indrani Mukerjea being celebrated at a Lit Fest named after Khushwant Singh, whose legacy stands for integrity and honesty,” commented Vikash Chauhan. Others called her appearance a form of image whitewashing, citing the recent Netflix docu-series The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth that revisits the case.

A user on X remarked, “The Indian society is conditioned to worship the rich, not good or bad. She is rich, hence can get away with murder, release her Netflix Shows and what not.” Another user expressed discomfort at the normalisation of her presence, asking, “How are we mainstreaming and legitimising her? Has everyone lost all moral judgement?”

About Indrani Mukerjea
Indrani Mukerjea, a former media executive, became infamous for her alleged involvement in the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora in 2012. The case only came to light in 2015, leading to Mukerjea’s arrest along with her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai. The charges against her included murder, conspiracy, kidnapping, giving false information, and destroying evidence. She spent several years in jail before being granted bail by the Supreme Court in May 2022. Mukerjea, who holds British citizenship, has since been permitted to travel abroad.